Suspension & Brakes Springs | Shocks | Handling | Rotors

Preparing for shock replacement

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 5, 2014 | 07:27 PM
  #1  
wayland1985's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: Boston, MA
Default Preparing for shock replacement

I'm getting ready to swap my factory shocks out for Koni Yellows (2001 camaro/ 75,000miles), and it seems results are varied on what's needed.

Assuming worst-case scenario: what parts would I need to replace?

Upper Strut mounts…. Upper Isolators…. And endlinks?

Anything in the rear?

And any hardware needed (bolts, etc?)

I just want to make sure I have all the parts necessary, so I'm not running around ordering parts last minute...
Reply
Old May 6, 2014 | 08:32 AM
  #2  
BMR Sales2's Avatar
LS1Tech Premium Sponsor
iTrader: (40)
 
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,451
Likes: 20
From: Seffner, FL
Default

Originally Posted by wayland1985
I'm getting ready to swap my factory shocks out for Koni Yellows (2001 camaro/ 75,000miles), and it seems results are varied on what's needed.

Assuming worst-case scenario: what parts would I need to replace?

Upper Strut mounts…. Upper Isolators…. And endlinks?

Anything in the rear?

And any hardware needed (bolts, etc?)

I just want to make sure I have all the parts necessary, so I'm not running around ordering parts last minute...
Besides the shocks the only other parts you would need assuming the worst-case scenario would be the upper strut mounts and the isolators that sit on top of the strut mounts. The end links don't have anything to do with the shocks so you shouldn't have to mess with them at all.

The shocks will come with the hardware needed to install them so you should be good to go there.
__________________
Glenn ***
Sales Tech
www.bmrsuspension.com
813.986.9302


Find a Quality alignment shop near you!
Reply
Old May 6, 2014 | 08:51 AM
  #3  
wayland1985's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: Boston, MA
Default

Originally Posted by BMR Sales2
Besides the shocks the only other parts you would need assuming the worst-case scenario would be the upper strut mounts and the isolators that sit on top of the strut mounts. The end links don't have anything to do with the shocks so you shouldn't have to mess with them at all.

The shocks will come with the hardware needed to install them so you should be good to go there.
Sounds good. I know in a few writeups people removed the endinks for more articulation to work with, and some reported them breaking. I figured spending $20 would be cheap insurance.
Reply
Old May 6, 2014 | 09:10 AM
  #4  
BMR Sales2's Avatar
LS1Tech Premium Sponsor
iTrader: (40)
 
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,451
Likes: 20
From: Seffner, FL
Default

Originally Posted by wayland1985
Sounds good. I know in a few writeups people removed the endinks for more articulation to work with, and some reported them breaking. I figured spending $20 would be cheap insurance.
With 75k miles on the car it definitely wouldn't be a terrible idea to swap out the end links or even upgrade to a set of polyurethane end links but it shouldn't be needed unless your current ones are in bad shape.
__________________
Glenn ***
Sales Tech
www.bmrsuspension.com
813.986.9302


Find a Quality alignment shop near you!
Reply
Old May 6, 2014 | 12:09 PM
  #5  
eteller's Avatar
Staging Lane
 
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Default

I'm doing the same swap this weekend (BMR springs/Koni yellows). I bought the above mentioned parts from Rock Auto and Amazon. You're gonna want to rent/buy a spring compressor. I think Harbor Freight has em for $16. Impact gun comes in handy too.
Reply
Old May 6, 2014 | 12:31 PM
  #6  
wayland1985's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: Boston, MA
Default

Originally Posted by eteller
I'm doing the same swap this weekend (BMR springs/Koni yellows). I bought the above mentioned parts from Rock Auto and Amazon. You're gonna want to rent/buy a spring compressor. I think Harbor Freight has em for $16. Impact gun comes in handy too.
Did you go with moog or ac delco parts?

Last edited by wayland1985; May 6, 2014 at 01:17 PM.
Reply
Old May 6, 2014 | 01:06 PM
  #7  
SparkyJJO's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
iTrader: (11)
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,364
Likes: 85
From: Ohio
Default

I would not want to trust a $16 harbor freight special with several hundred pound per inch springs.
Reply
Old May 6, 2014 | 02:23 PM
  #8  
DrEvyl's Avatar
teh PuRpL3z
20 Year Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,479
Likes: 7
From: Seattle, WA
Default

I'm getting ready to do mine also, and I bought the upper shock mounts for the front along with the shocks & springs. Ended up being a little over $80 for the parts. Last time I did shocks on the car, the top bolt was so rusty that I had to have them cut off, don't wanna deal with that again.. and I want to be able to set it up so that the swap is pretty quick... I can do all the spring compressor stuff before and afterwards, at my own leisure.

Hell, I'm probably just going to take all the pieces to my local shop and have them assemble them for me, so I can just install them and not have to mess with the spring compressor at all.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-5

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

 
story-9

10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

 Verdad Gallardo
Old May 6, 2014 | 05:32 PM
  #9  
eteller's Avatar
Staging Lane
 
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Default

Originally Posted by wayland1985
Did you go with moog or ac delco parts?
Moog. As far as the spring compressors go, I had good luck with chunky dumb stuff from
HF, it's their electricskl stuff that's crap.
Reply
Old May 7, 2014 | 08:09 AM
  #10  
BMR Sales2's Avatar
LS1Tech Premium Sponsor
iTrader: (40)
 
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,451
Likes: 20
From: Seffner, FL
Default

Originally Posted by wayland1985
Did you go with moog or ac delco parts?
I would get the Moog parts through www.rockauto.com because they will have the best prices and availability you can find on the Moog parts.
__________________
Glenn ***
Sales Tech
www.bmrsuspension.com
813.986.9302


Find a Quality alignment shop near you!
Reply
Old May 8, 2014 | 09:32 AM
  #11  
sscamaroburn02's Avatar
TECH Addict
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
iTrader: (14)
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,052
Likes: 7
Default

The endlinks are cheap insurance but if ur careful you could reuse the stockers. My camaro had 75k when I replaced my shocks, top bolts were not to bad prolly bc it hasn't been my dd for many years now

Sent from my HTC One VX using IB AutoGroup
Reply
Old May 9, 2014 | 11:15 AM
  #12  
97FormulaWS-6's Avatar
TECH Apprentice
10 Year Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 314
Likes: 0
From: Land of the Mormon's although I'm not one of them
Default

Originally Posted by BMR Sales2
I would get the Moog parts through www.rockauto.com because they will have the best prices and availability you can find on the Moog parts.
Check Amazon too... I just put my front end together and Amazon beat them hands down on the upper mounts/isolators; price and 2-day Prime shipping.
Reply
Old May 9, 2014 | 11:18 AM
  #13  
wayland1985's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: Boston, MA
Default

Originally Posted by 97FormulaWS-6
Check Amazon too... I just put my front end together and Amazon beat them hands down on the upper mounts/isolators; price and 2-day Prime shipping.
Weird: I checked amazon, and the prices were higher for them... I know they tend to fluctuate their prices based on day/zip code, etc, so maybe that's why...
Reply
Old May 9, 2014 | 11:38 AM
  #14  
Jr.Samples's Avatar
TECH Regular
 
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 407
Likes: 2
From: Keller Tx
Default

My top nut was so rusted on the stud I ended up compressing the spring and cutting just above the spring with a sawsall. It was all destroyed with rust and rot.


The only reason I even messed with it was to reuse the spring.
Reply
Old May 9, 2014 | 02:28 PM
  #15  
wayland1985's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: Boston, MA
Default

I'm in the middle of this now... The passenger side was rusted on good... great thing I ordered the moogs.

Of course, the idiot I am, I forgot to keep track of order of things: so how does it go from bottom up?

Fender washer>moog strut mount>pivot>nut?

And any idea of how to slide the shock into the mount? There's very little clearance: do I just grease her up?
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:06 PM.

story-0
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-2
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-5
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-6
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE